The halls are decked, the snow is a-glistening, and the air is buzzing with joyful holiday energy. There’s just one thing standing between you and that homemade eggnog: last-minute Christmas shopping. Alas, it’s too late to shop online. But don’t fret—you still have a week to wrap up your shopping (literally and figuratively). Before you panic and buy everyone a gift card, follow our guide for stress-free shopping in Bend.
Rule number one: make fewer stops
The first rule to stress-free holiday shopping is efficiency. Maximize your time by making fewer stops around town. It’s winter, the roads are often slick, and traffic is bustling with, well, all the other last-minute shoppers. Why spend hours driving around Bend when you can get everything you need in one place? At the Cascade Village Shopping Center, we have over 25 shops, plus restaurants and salons for when you need a break. You can even swing by Trader Joe’s and Food 4 Less for Christmas dinner fixings while you’re at it. It’s truly a one-stop-shop.
Rule number two: take advantage of in-store pickup
This year, many retailers are offering in-store or curbside pickup for orders placed online. Make a shopping list of what you need and for who. Then, check online to a) make sure the items you want are in-stock and b) find out if you can take advantage of in-store or curbside pickup. You might be surprised by how much shopping you can get done before even showing up at the stores. For example, Best Buy and World Market have designated parking spaces out front for curbside pickup. You don’t even need to get out of your car.
Rule number three: have a game plan
The countdown to Christmas is on, which means more traffic and more crowds. Make a game plan before you head out to tackle your last-minute Christmas shopping in Bend. If you’re visiting the Cascade Village Shopping Center, take advantage of our interactive map to plan which stores you want to hit, and in which order. Having a strategy will help you avoid backtracking and doing circles in the parking lot. Also, make sure to check when stores open and arrive early to beat the crowds—especially because some stores may need to limit capacity this year.
Last but not least: remember that you’re one shopping trip away from kicking back with that piping hot eggnog and your favorite Christmas movie. You got this.
